Keyed zither



J. PUCHALSKI.

KEYED ZITHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1921- Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

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gwuentoz aktozwug J. PUCHALSKI.

KEYED ZITHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1921.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. PUCH-A LSKI.

KEYED ZITHER.

I APPLICATION FILED JFJNE 10, 1921. 1,405,328, Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

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UNITED STATES JZOHN rUcHALsKI, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

KEYED ZITHER.

T 0 all '20 how it may concern Be it known that JorrN PUGHALSIU, a citizen of Poland, residing at Clevelanthin the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio. has invented new. and useful Improvements in Keyed Zithers, of which the following is a specification. 1

The object of the invention is to provide a novel form of musical instrument adapted for manipulation under conditions similar to those obtaining in reference to piano and other keyed instruments and havingqualities and characteristics of tone partaking of those ordinarily associated with guitars, and the 'like while being capable of operation under conditions corresponding with those incidental to the use of a keyboard instrument; and with these objects'in view the invention consists inaf construction and combination ofparts of which a preferred em- Figure 2 is a plan view partly broken away to show portions of'the keyboard, ac-

tion, strings, sound board and the like.

Figure 3 is a front view partly broken away. 7 r

Figures 4 and 5 are detail views respectively of a key'and a hammer.

Figure 6 is a view of a portion of the hammer bar.

The casing 10 which obviously may be of anydesired size and design but which in the construction illustrated corresponds in general lines to those of a piano of the upright type encloses a sound boardll arranged in a horizontal position on suitable supports 12 to form the top of a sound box 13, and extending over and in spanning relation with the sound board are the strings 14: which may be either single or multiple for each degree or pitch or tone, supported by front and rear bridges 15 and 16 and connected respectively with tuning pins or pegs 17 which are accessible from the front of the structure case by reason of a movable front door 18 arranged above the plane of the keyboard 19 and hinged at 20 for inward swinging movement as shown in Figure 1. This front board is adapted by means of suitable fastening devices to be secured in either its closed or open position, the means illustrated consisting of a book 21 for engagement with suitable keepers 22 and 23. Obviously when the door Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

Application filed June 10, 1921. Serial No. 476,460.

is displaced inwardly the operator is enabled to reach into the casing to apply the usual tuning hammer or like tool'to the pins or pegs 17 for adjusting the tension of the strings The hammers consist of bars 2e; pivot'ally mounted as at 25 upon a supporting bar 26 and carrying resilient or spring tongues 27' to which are attached hammer heads 28 preferably consisting of weighted tubes 29 titted with felt cushions 30 designed to strike the strings, and owing to the resilience oft-he tongues 27 causing the rebounding and vibration of the hammer heads it is possible by holding the hammer bar in its operated or sounding position to cause a rapid repetition of blows of the hammer head upon the strings, whereas a single blow or sounding of the string may be effected by a relatively quick operation and release of the hammer bar, each hammer bar being provided with a retracting spring 31 attached to its front end and secured to a suitable anchor bar 32 supported by the casing.

The means illustrated for actuating the hammers consist of the keys 33 pivoted at their rear ends as shown at 3% and provided with depending presser feet 35 of arcuate looped form to bear upon the bars 24.

In the path of rearward or return movements of the hammers is arranged the stop 36 having a cushion 37 for preventing any sound by reason of contact therewith and in practice it is preferred to construct the 'p'resser foot 35 of a flat band "of metal secured to the under side of the key and extended rearwardly to form the bearing loop 34 which engages the pivot 34, the forward end of said band being extended beyond the produced by the vibratory movements of the hammers in Xylophone playing.

It will be noted that each hammer in the construction illustrated embodles a bar or rigid member 24: which is pivotally mounted upon the supporting bar 26 and a yielding or spring tongue projecting from one end of said bar or rigid member so that when the pivotal movement of the rigid member is stopped by being seated in the rest provided for it in the bar 26 the tongue will yield to bring the hammer head into contact with the springs and will then rebound and vibrate to effect a longer or shorter prolongation of the tone or repetition of strokes according to the force with which the key has been operated, the rigid member of the hammer being fulcrumed at an intermediate point to provide for a sufficient leverage at its rear end to permit of the retraction of the hammer by the spring 31.

Moreover it will be noted that the arcuate presser foot 35 carried by the key corresponding to each hammer is of a form adapting it to yield to cushion the stroke of the hammer and operates in a path in which is arranged the hammer supportingbar 26, so that the contact of the presser foot with the upper surface of the bar 26. constitutes a stop for limiting the downward movement of the key, the body or-rigid part of the hammer thenbeing held by the presser foot in its seat durin the vibratory movement of the head carrying tongue'27.

Having described the invention, what is claimed asnew and usefulis:

1. A musical 'instrument'having an encased sound board with strings arranged in spanning relation therewith, spring retracted hammers pivotally mounted and having heads disposed for movement in paths adaptving them to be brought into impacting relation respectively with strings tuned to different'pitches, and depressible' keys arranged respectively in operative relation with said hammers for eifecting the operative movement thereof, said hammers having rigid bars or members pivotally mounted upon a transverse supporting barand limited in swinging movement thereby and resilient head carrying tongues supported by said rigid bar or members, andthe keys having depending arcuate presser feet of which the paths of movement are toward and from said supporting bar.

2. A musical instrument having an en' cased sound board with strings arranged in spanning relation therewith, spring retracted hammers pivotally mounted and having heads disposed for movement in paths adapting them to be brought into impacting relation respectively with strings tuned to different pitches, and depressible keys arranged respectively in operative relation with'said hammers for efiect'ing the operative move- 60" ment thereof, said hammers having rigid bars'or members pivotally mounted upon a transverse supporting bar and limited in swinging movement thereby and resilient head carrying tongues supported by said rigid bar or members, and said hammers having depending arcuate presser feet bearing upon the rigid bars 'or members of the hammers and limited in hammer actuating Vmovement by contact with said supporting bar.

3. A musical instrument having an encased sound board with strings arranged in v V spanning relation therewith, springretracted hammers pivotally mounted and having- JOHN P oHALsKI, 

